THE EXEGESIS OF GOD
Heb. 1:3
Morning Meditation 8/10/2014
Verse 3 says, "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power . . ."
The word "exegesis" is a Greek word transliterated into the English language. It is found in John 1:18: "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." The words "hath declared" translate "exegeomai" and means, "to lead out, to draw out in narrative, unfold a teaching." It means in our language according to the dictionary, "a critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text." Preachers who go to seminary have classes they take called Exegesis. This class teaches one how to analyze a verse of Scripture by taking it apart word by word examining all parts and bringing the meaning out where it can be understood by rational beings. Jesus is the Exegesis of God according to John 1:18. Out text in Hebrews is a further description of John's statement.
We are going to look at verse 3 in two parts. In this part of the verse we will see who the Son by whom God has spoken in finality reflects in the brightness of His glory, and who He is the express image of, and one of the things He is doing right now. Let's look first at,
THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY
Our text says, "Who being the brightness of his glory." The word "being" is a present participle of the "to be" verb "eimi" meaning "I am." The Son is Jehovah of the burning bush (Exodus 3:13-14). Again, it is present tense which means continuous action in the present. It is not, "He was the brightness of his glory," it is, "He IS right now in the present tense." He continues to be the "brightness of his glory." If you want to see the glory of God, you must behold the Lamb. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:6: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
Exodus 33:18 says, "And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." Then is verse 22 of that chapter God answers Moses: "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:"
We have the results of Moses vision of God recorded in Exo. 34:29-35: "And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the Veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him."
What Moses saw is what Jesus is. The word "brightness" translates "apaugasma " and means, "reflected brightness." It is used "of Christ in that he perfectly reflects the majesty of God." It means according to Vine, "effulgence, a shining forth, of a light coming from a luminous body." Vincent says it means, "out-raying." The Son is the "effulgence, the shining forth" of the Shekinah seen in the Tabernacle and Temple. The word "glory" translates "doxa" and means, "splendor." This word is used in John 1:14 where John says, "and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father."
One other thing before we leave this. Our text says, "the glory," not, "a glory." The definite article is present in the text. Jesus radiates all that God is in all His greatness as it shines forth. He is not just one of many ways God's glory is reflected. Any thing that reflects the glory of God must derive that glory from Jesus. Jesus is the very effulgence, the shining forth, the one and only source of the glory of God.. Next we see,
THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON
Our text says, "and the express image of his person." The word "and" means in addition to. The words "express image" translate "charakter" and means, "the exact expression (the image) of any person or thing, marked likeness, precise reproduction in every respect." It is used of "the instrument used for engraving or carving, the mark stamped upon that instrument." It is like the notary instrument. The father is the instrument that makes the seal that is visible to the eye and Jesus is the image of the seal made. When you have seen the seal imprinted, you have seen the exact likeness of the instrument that made the seal.
We get our word character from the Greek word "charakter." It is a tranliteration. Our word "character" means among other things, "A description of a person's attributes, traits, or abilities." Jesus is the answer to what God is like in His attributes, traits and abilities." When one studies the life of Jesus in the Scripture, you have God's attributes, traits and abilities displayed and stated by and in Jesus the only begotten Son. The word "person" translates "hupostasis" and means, "a setting or placing under, a thing put under, substructure, foundation, that which has foundation, is firm, that which has actual existence." This means that the Son is the real thing, the very foundation of the One manifested. This is the same word that is translated "substance" in Hebrews 11:1. "Faith is the substance (hupostasis) of the things hoped for." True faith is a response to the revelation of God so that God's character is on the line to fulfill what is believed. What is believed is as sure as God Himself. Faith then is the realization of what is not seen before it is seen and the perfect assurance that it will be seen. Faith is the God given capacity to reveal the truthfulness of God.
Space will not allow further comment but I challenge you to reread the Gospels and study the life of Christ (not a set of theological books) to find out what God is like. You will find the "express image" of the invisible God in the person of Jesus. Someone hold my mules!!! Hallelujah!
Next our text says,
THAT THE SON UPHOLDS ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER
The word "and" is adding something else to the list of what God has spoken to us in the person of His Son. He made the "worlds" in verse 2, now God says the Son is "upholding all things by the word of his power."
The word "upholding" translates "phero" and means, "to carry to bear up i.e. uphold (keep from falling)." This describes what Jesus the only begotten Son is doing right now. Can you imagine what man's denial of God as Creator does to the God we serve? The little puny brain-dead professor in a school of higher learning or teacher in a public school has no idea how offended God is at the disbelief registered when they teach evolution. Can you imagine what would happen if Jesus would release His PRESENT GRIP on the created universe? The word "upholding" is a present active participle. This means that Jesus is doing it right now. The active voice adds force to Jesus as the Subject acting of His own merciful will to hold all things together.
Let me give you a verse that tells us what would happen if Jesus willed to release His PRESENT GRIP on the created universe. Peter says in 2 Pet. 3:10: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." The word "elements" translates "stoicheion" and means, "any first thing, from which the others belonging to some series or composite whole take their rise, an element, first principal." The elements are the invisible things of which Hebrews 11:3 is speaking. There he says, "The things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." The seen is made out of the unseen and Jesus is holding the unseen elements together so that the seen things stay in tact until the time described by Peter.
How does Jesus do this. We are told in the words, "by the word of his power." The word "word" translates "rhema" and means, "that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, a thing spoken." Jesus IS the Word (logos) and He speaks (rhema) the word that UPHOLDS ALL THINGS. The word "power" translates "dunamis" and means, "inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth." This is not the word "power" that means authority. That is also used of Jesus in Matthew 28:18. But the Eternal Son's living voice is speaking in the present, and His speaking voice is holding the unseen elements together. Should Jesus stop speaking, what do you think would happen? Peter tells us. Is God alive? My dear friends we know He is alive and active because the universe has not melted with fervent heat. Every day and every moment of every day the resurrection is proven by the fact that we are still here.
I have had about all of this I can stand in this session. You can't imagine how many times in writing this I have wanted to have a camp meeting spell. I am overcome by the greatness of God in Jesus Christ. I can say, "Hallelujah!!!" and it may look dead on a page. But take my word for it, the cork has blown out of my bottle this morning.
May the Lord bless these words to your hearts..
In Christ
Bro. White
